Genetic Diversity of Wild, Weedy and Cultivated Forms of Brassica Rapa

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Genetic Diversity of Wild, Weedy and Cultivated Forms of Brassica Rapa Heredity 74 (1995)491—496 Received 30 June 1994 Genetical Society of Great Britain Genetic diversity of wild, weedy and cultivated forms of Brassica rapa J. H. CROUCH, B. G. LEWISt, D. J. LYDIATE AND R. MITHEN* Brass/ca and 0//seeds Research Department, John Innes Centre, Co/ney, Norwich NR4 7UJ and tSchool of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K. RestrictionFragment Length Polymorphisms (RFLPs) were used to study the genetic diversity within and between accessions of 'wild' and cultivated B. rapa. Two of the wild accessions were likely to be escapes from cultivation because of their geographical origins (Argentina and California). The nature of the other three wild accessions (from Turkey, Algeria and Sicily) was not known. Principal components analysis placed the Argentinian, Californian and Turkish accessions within a cluster which contained all the cultivated forms of B. rapa. The other two B. rapa accessions were genetically divergent and, on the basis of their RFLP genotypes, would have been considered to be more distant from the cultivated forms of B. rapa than accessions of B. nigra and B. montana. The implications of these results for germplasm conservation, selection of material for breeding programmes and phylogenetic studies on the origin of Brassica crops are discussed. Keywords:Brassicarapa, diversity, RFLPs, wild germplasm. taxa (Table 1). Five of the wild accessions were inter- Introduction fertile with B. rapa and on the basis of their morph- Recentadvances have been made in Brassica ology, aliphatic glucosinolate content and cytology taxonomy based upon RFLPs. Comparisons between were consistent with being classified as B. rapa L. (R. F. wild and cultivated accessions of B. oleracea L. and B. Mithen and J. H. Crouch, unpublished data). A sixth rapa L. have led to hypotheses concerning the site of 'wild' B. rapa accession from Egypt (UPM 4623) was domestication of Brassica crops and their subsequent found to be B. juncea Coss. & Czern. Of the five wild spread to other geographical regions (Song et al., 1988, accessions, one was collected in Argentina and one in 1992; Warwick & Black, 1991). Wild forms of both B. California. These are very likely to be escapes from oleracea and B. rapa are difficult to distinguish from cultivation as it is highly improbable that wild B. rapa relatively recent escapes from cultivation (Mitchell, occurs in the New World. The other three accessions 1976). This has led to the inaccurate description of were collected from Turkey, Sicily and Algeria. The many accessions in germplasm collections as being accession from Turkey was collected in arable fields 'wild', whereas they are weedy remnants of previous and may also be an escape from cultivation (Oztürk et cultivations. This may lead to incorrect deductions al., 1985). The accession from Sicily was collected concerning the origin of cultivated taxa. It may also from a road verge. No information is available lead to an underestimation of the relative amounts of concerning the origin of the Algerian accession. genetic diversity within and between wild and culti- vated forms of crop species which has implications for Materialsand methods genetic conservation and the choice of genotypes for breeding programmes. Plantswere grown in John Innes No. 1 compost in To examine how incorrect identification of Brassica insect-proof glasshouses in a 18°C day/12°C night accessions may lead to problems with deducing evolu- temperature regime. Supplementary lighting was tionary relationships we obtained from germplasm provided during the winter. Total genomic DNA collections six accessions of B. rapa which were preparations were made from freeze-dried leaf described as 'wild' and compared these with cultivated material of between two and five individuals from each accession. EcoRl-restricted DNA fragments were *Correspondence separated by electrophoresis and were capillary blotted 1995 The Genetical Society of Great Britain. 491 492 J. H. CROUCH ETAL. Table1.Originof Brassica accessions used in the present study Accession Code no. Genome Origin Description and donor number B. rapa subspecies rapifera 99 A Netherlands Stubble turnip oleifera 29 A Germany Oilseed rape cv. Makelsberg oleifera 529 A Canada Oilseedrape cv. Tobin oleifera 532 A Canada Oilseedrape cv. Parkiand italica 189 A Vegetable cv. Brocoletto, HRI 6218 chinensis 333 A Asia Chinese cabbage var. chinesis, IPSR# R-C-26 chinensis 699 A Asia Chinese cabbage cv. Grannaat syl vest ris 73 A Turkey Wild, UPM 6278 sylvestris 74 A Argentina Wild, UPM 5903 sylvestris 75 A Sicily Wild, UPM 6652 sylvestris 76 A Algeria Wild, UPM 6464 sylvestris 79 A California Wild, UPM 1742 Outgroups B. nigra 179 B Greece Ecotype, BGRC 34180 B. nigra 211 B Germany Wild,BGRC 32960 B. montana 196 C France Wild, BOS 12 Germplasm collections prefixes: HRI: Horticulture Research International, UK; IPSR: Institute of Plant Science Reserch, UK; UPM: Universidad Politecnica Madrid, Spain; BGRC: Institut für Pflansenbau, Germany; BOS: Institut National de Ia Recherche Agronomique, France. Table 2. List of probes used in the present study, the Each restriction fragment was considered as a unit number of RFLPs they detected and the RFLP alleles unique character and was used to create a binary matrix. This to either B. rapa subsp. sylvestris no. 75 or no. 76 matrix was used for principal components analyses with the aid of a program provided by M. Ambrose Polymorphic Alleles specific to (John Innes Centre, Norwich) written within the Probe alleles No. 75 No. 76 GENSTAT s software (Rothamsted Experimental Station, Similarity coefficients were calculated pW2E12 8 — 1 England). — according to the Jaccard coefficient (as described in pW9A2 8 1 pW7B6 16 1 1 Gower & Legendre, 1986) for all possible pairwise pW1F6 14 — — comparisons between genotypes (Table 3). The first pW2B7 16 1 1 and second principal components were then graphi- pW2A11 16 — — cally presented (Figs 2 and 3). Similar methods of data analysis have been adopted by Wetton et al. (1987), pOlO 8 — 2 — Song etaL (1990) and Lashermes etal. (1993). p0112 10 1 p0118 7 — 1 pR54 13 — — Results 7 — I pRll5 Onehundred and twenty-three restriction fragments were scored across all accessions. The Brassica accessionstested showed a very high level of poly- morphism (Fig. 1) and no fragments were common for onto a nylon filter. Filters were probed with 11 anony- all accessions. The wild accessions from Sicily and mous gDNA probes derived from libraries of small Algeria contained several unique restriction fragments (0.8—1.6 kb) PstI-restricted fragments from B. napus (Table 2). With the exception of one unique fragment L., B. oleracea and B. rapa. The probes used for which occurred in B. rapa subsp. italica no. 189, none detecting RFLPs are listed in Table 2. Full details of of the cultivated subspecies or the accessions from DNA extraction, blotting and Southern hybridization California, Argentina and Turkey possessed any are provided by Magrath etal. (1994). unique restriction fragments. The Genetical Society of Great Britain, Heredity, 74, 491—496. GENETIC DIVERSITY IN BRASSICA RAPA 493 of Brassica accessions used in the present study Table 3. Simiarity matrix of D values for B. nigra (2,3),B.montana (1,4,31),B.rapa subspp. rapifera (5,10), European oleifera (6,7), Canadian oleifera (8,9),italica(17,18), chinensis (16,19,20)and B.rapa subsp. sylvestris accessions collected from California Description and donor number (11,12), Argentina (13,14,15), Turkey (21,30), Algeria (22,23,24), Sicily (25,26,27,28,29) I Oilseed rape cv. Makelsberg 32522— Oilseedrape cv. Parkiand 421 1 600003—50111 Chinese cabbage var. chinesis, IPSR 7000036— Chinese cabbage cv. Grannaat 9011801103325—0333— 10 0 0 0 0 23 3 32 — 11 01 1 0 33 3 22 2 — 12 0 1 1 0 23 3 23 2 5— 140110233331435—13 01 0 0 23 3 32 2 34— 15 0 0 0 0 33 3 12 1 3 33 3— 16 00 0 1 31 1 1 2 2 22 1 23 — 17 0 0 0 0 12 2 11 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 — 18 00 0 0 22 3 23 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 4 — 19 01 0 0 22 2 12 2 2 1 1 32 2 1 1 — — 20 0 11 0 22 2 23 1 1 1 2 22 2 1 1 5 21 0 11 1 22 2 12 1 22222 2 1 1 2 3 — Germplasm collections prefixes: HRI: Horticulture Research International, UK; IPSR: Institute of Plant Science Reserch, UK; 22 0 0 1 0 10 0 00 0 00 1 1 2 0 1 11 1 2 — UPM: Universidad Politecnica Madrid, Spain; BGRC: Institut für Pflansenbau, Germany; BOS: Institut National de Ia 23 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 00 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 11 1 2 8 24 0 0 0 0 10 0 00 0 00 1 0 1 11 0 0 1 2 77— Table 2. List of probes usedEach in restriction the fragmentpresent was consideredstudy, as thea unit 25 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 12 0 1 1 1 1 1 11 11 2 1 232— number of RFLPs they detectedcharacter and and the was usedRFLP to create alleles a binary matrix.unique This 26 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 11 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 2 2226— matrix was used for principal components analyses 27 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 11 0 1 1 1 1156— 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 2 with the aid of a program provided by M. Ambrose 28 0 0 1 0 01 0 11 1 22555— 29 0 0 0 0 12 2 12 0 1 1 22 1 1 0 2 1 2 2 1 105543— 30 0 0 1 0 11 2 11 0 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 2 11001001— GENSTAT s software (Rothamsted Experimental Station, 31 0 0 0 2 00 0 00 0 0 1 000 1 0 1 1 0 1 000000002— Similarity coefficients were calculated 1234567890123456789012345678901 1 2 3 cally presented (Figs 2 and 3).
Recommended publications
  • Research Team Led by NYBG Scientist Identifies the Likely Original Relative of Many Food Crops, a Resource That Could Make Them More Environmentally Resilient
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 24, 2021 Research Team Led by NYBG Scientist Identifies the Likely Original Relative of Many Food Crops, a Resource That Could Make Them More Environmentally Resilient Turnips, Broccoli Rabe, Bok Choy, and Others Might Benefit from the Genetic Diversity of Their Ancestor, Wild Brassica rapa, Probably First Domesticated More Than 3,000 Years Ago Wild Brassica rapa has been domesticated into a wide variety of related food crops, including turnips, broccoli rabe, bok choy, and oilseeds such as turnip rape and sarson. Illustration by Alex McAlvay, Ph.D. Bronx, NY—In a peer-reviewed article published online by the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, a research team led by a New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) scientist identifies the likely wild, original relative of a group of important domesticated food plants, including turnips, broccoli rabe, bok choy, napa cabbage, and mizuna, a finding that could help improve the productivity and resilience of these crops and prioritize conservation efforts. Alex McAlvay, Ph.D., the Kate E. Tode Assistant Curator in NYBG’s Institute of Economic Botany, and his collaborators traced the ancestry of these plants, all of which are members of the same species, Brassica rapa, to the mountains of Central Asia, where they believe the species might have been originally domesticated more than 3,000 years ago. nybg.org “The wild relatives of crops harbor diversity that has been lost through generations of breeding and crop selection,” Dr. McAlvay said. “Identifying the center of origin of the individual crop plant is important as it often indicates where most of the crop diversity is present.” Thousands of years of selective breeding by humans for various desirable traits have led to the diversification of B.
    [Show full text]
  • Brassica Rapa Domestication: Untangling Wild and Feral Forms and Convergence of Crop Morphotypes Alex C
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.04.05.438488; this version posted April 6, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. 1 Brassica rapa domestication: untangling wild and feral forms and convergence of crop morphotypes Alex C. McAlvay, Aaron P. Ragsdale, Makenzie E. Mabry, Xinshuai Qi, Kevin A. Bird, Pablo Velasco, Hong An, J. Chris Pires, Eve Emshwiller Abstract The study of domestication contributes to our knowledge of evolution and crop genetic resources. Human selection has shaped wild Brassica rapa into diverse turnip, leafy, and oilseed crops. Despite its worldwide economic importance and potential as a model for understanding diversification under domestication, insights into the number of domestication events and initial crop(s) domesticated in B. rapa have been limited due to a lack of clarity about the wild or feral status of conspecific non-crop relatives. To address this gap and reconstruct the domestication history of B. rapa, we analyzed 68,468 genotyping-by-sequencing-derived SNPs for 416 samples in the largest diversity panel of domesticated and weedy B. rapa to date. To further understand the center of origin, we modeled the potential range of wild B. rapa during the mid-Holocene. Our analyses of genetic diversity across B. rapa morphotypes suggest that non-crop samples from the Caucasus, Siberia, and Italy may be truly wild, while those occurring in the Americas and much of Europe are feral.
    [Show full text]
  • Delineating Root System Architecture in Rapeseed/Canola (Brassica
    DELINEATING ROOT SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE IN RAPESEED/CANOLA (BRASSICA NAPUS L.) THROUGH MOLECULAR AND TRANSCRIPTOMIC APPROACHES A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Science By Muhammad Arif Uz Zaman In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major Department: Plant Sciences October 2018 Fargo, North Dakota North Dakota State University Graduate School Title DELINEATING ROOT SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE IN RAPESEED/CANOLA (BRASSICA NAPUS L.) THROUGH MOLECULAR AND TRANSCRIPTOMIC APPROACHES By Muhammad Arif Uz Zaman The Supervisory Committee certifies that this disquisition complies with North Dakota State University’s regulations and meets the accepted standards for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE: Dr. Mukhlesur Rahman Chair Dr. Phillip E. McClean Dr. David P. Horvath Dr. Luis del Rio-Mendoza Approved: 11/14/2018 Dr. Rich Horsley Date Department Chair ABSTRACT Root system architecture of plant plays a key role in water and nutrient uptake from the soil, provides anchorage and acts as a storage organ. In this current research, we have focused on the molecular and physiological basis of root system variation in canola (Brassica napus L.). Genome wide association mappings in a diverse canola germplasm panel with ~37,500 and ~30,200 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were conducted under greenhouse and field conditions, respectively. A total of 52 significant SNP markers associated with different root architectural traits were identified in the greenhouse study. Majority of the markers were distributed on five chromosomes, A01, A02, A04, C03 and C06, of B. napus. Twenty-two candidate genes related to root growth and development were detected within 50 kbp upstream and downstream of the significant markers.
    [Show full text]
  • Vegetable Notes for Vegetable Farmers in Massachusetts
    University of Massachusetts Extension Vegetable Notes For Vegetable Farmers in Massachusetts Volume 20, Number 3 , 2009 IN THIS ISSUE: COLD-HARDY GREENS PROJECT – SELECTING AND SAVING BRASSICA SEED Cold Hardy Greens: Selections & Seed Saving The UMass Cold-Hardy Greens Project is working with local Biocontrol for Mexican Bean Beetle farmers to select Brassica greens crops that are especially suited to Seedcorn Maggot & Wireworm thrive in cold climate New England. Of course, Brassica greens Cabbage & Onion Maggot in general are generally cold-hardy. We are working on variet- ies that have a strong ability to recover well from minimal winter New Publication: Using Organic Nutrient Sources protection (an unheated hoop house, heavy row cover with wire Upcoming Meetings hoops, or open field) and produce strong re-growth and marketable yield in early spring. This is a valuable harvest window for diversi- fied growers who need early spring revenue. Often, overwintered greens bolt rapidly and become unmarketable before spring-plant- ed crops are ready. The seed we are working with was first selected by farmers Brett Grosgahl (Even’star Farm, MD), Brian O’Hara (Tobacco Road Farm , CT) and Dan Pratt (Astarte Farm, MA) over many seasons to survive extended cold periods with minimal protection from winter conditions. UMass has planted this seed for three winters at our research farm in South Deerfield, MA. We have selected for cold-hardiness, late bolting and good spring regrowth. We have three species of cold-hardy greens including a mix of red and green mustard (Brassica juncea), a mustard tatsoi mix (‘MTM’) cross (Brassica rapa), and Siberian Kale (B.
    [Show full text]
  • Floristic Composition and Vegetation Analysis and Species Diversity of Some Brassica Species Associates in North of Nile Delta Region, Egypt
    CATRINA (2015), 14(1): 45-52 © 2015 BY THE EGYPTIAN SOCIETY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Floristic Composition and Vegetation Analysis and Species Diversity of Some Brassica Species Associates in North of Nile Delta Region, Egypt Ibrahim A. Mashaly*, Mohamed Abd El-Aal and Nazzar K. Dawood Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, 35516 Mansoura, Egypt ABSTRACT The present study was carried out to provide insight on the floristic composition, vegetation analysis and species diversity of associated flora of three common Brassica spp (Brassica rapa L., Brassica nigra (L.) Koch and Brassica tournefortii Gouan) communities in the North of Nile Delta of Egypt. In 60 surveyed stands, a total of 150 species belonging to 122 genera and related to 34 taxonomic families were recorded. Annual/therophytes-biregional taxa were the predomninates. Vegetation classification distinguished four vegetation groups named after the first and second dominant species. Group A: Cichorium endivia-Brassica nigra and represents the vegetation type of old field crops cultivated with clover and wheat, while group B: Polypogon monspeliensis- Rumex dentatus and represents winter field crops in old cultivated lands, edges of cultivation (canal banks) and roadsides. Group C: Brassica tournefortii- Cynodon dactylon and was characteristic for newly reclaimed lands, while group D: Echinops spinosus-Brassica tournefortii was found in the roadsides and sand formations habitat along the Deltaic Mediterranean coast of Egypt. The highest species diversity was mainly in groups D and C from roadsides and sand formations habitat and in the newly reclaimed lands. Edaphic factors especially sulphates, bicarbonates, maximum water-holding capacity, total phosphorus, silt, magnesium, potassium, potassium adsorption ratio, sand fraction and chlorides affect the distribution and abundance of the characteristic weeds species.
    [Show full text]
  • Remarks on Brassica
    International Journal of AgriScience Vol. 3(6): 453-480, June 2013 www.inacj.com ISSN: 2228-6322© International Academic Journals The wild and the grown – remarks on Brassica Hammer K.¹*, Gladis Th.¹ , Laghetti G.² , Pignone D.² ¹Former Institute of Crop Science, University of Kassel, Witzenhausen, Germany. * Author for correspondence (email: [email protected]) ²CNR – Institute of Plant Genetics, Bari, Italy. Received mmmm yyyy; accepted in revised form mmmmm yyyy ABSTRACT Brassica is a genus of the Cruciferae (Brassicaceae). The wild races are concentrated in the Mediterranean area with one species in CE Africa (Brassica somaliensis Hedge et A. Miller) and several weedy races reaching E Asia. Amphidiploid evolution is characteristic for the genus. The diploid species Brassica nigra (L.) Koch (n = 8), Brassica rapa L. emend. Metzg. (n = 10, syn.: B. campestris L.) and Brassica oleracea L. (n = 9) all show a rich variation under domestication. From the naturally occurring amphidiploids Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. (n = 18), Brassica napus L. emend. Metzg. (n = 19) and the rare Brassica carinata A. Braun (n = 17) also some vegetable races have developed. The man-made Brassica ×harmsiana O.E. Schulz (Brassica oleracea × Brassica rapa, n = 29, n = 39), or similar hybrids, serve also for the development of new vegetables. Brassica tournefortii Gouan (n = 10) from another Brassica- cytodeme, different from the Brassica rapa group, is occasionally grown as a vegetable in India. Brassica has developed two hotspots under cultivation, in the Mediterranean area and in E Asia. Cultivation by man has changed the different Brassica species in a characteristic way. The large amount of morphologic variation, which exceeded in many cases variations occurring in distinct wild species, has been observed by the classical botanists by adding these variations to their natural species by using Greek letters.
    [Show full text]
  • Brassica Spp.) – 151
    II.3. BRASSICA CROPS (BRASSICA SPP.) – 151 Chapter 3. Brassica crops (Brassica spp.) This chapter deals with the biology of Brassica species which comprise oilseed rape, turnip rape, mustards, cabbages and other oilseed crops. The chapter contains information for use during the risk/safety regulatory assessment of genetically engineered varieties intended to be grown in the environment (biosafety). It includes elements of taxonomy for a range of Brassica species, their centres of origin and distribution, reproductive biology, genetics, hybridisation and introgression, crop production, interactions with other organisms, pests and pathogens, breeding methods and biotechnological developments, and an annex on common pathogens and pests. The OECD gratefully acknowledges the contribution of Dr. R.K. Downey (Canada), the primary author, without whom this chapter could not have been written. The chapter was prepared by the OECD Working Group on the Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology, with Canada as the lead country. It updates and completes the original publication on the biology of Brassica napus issued in 1997, and was initially issued in December 2012. Data from USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and FAOSTAT have been updated. SAFETY ASSESSMENT OF TRANSGENIC ORGANISMS: OECD CONSENSUS DOCUMENTS, VOLUME 5 © OECD 2016 152 – II.3. BRASSICA CROPS (BRASSICA SPP.) Introduction The plants within the family Brassicaceae constitute one of the world’s most economically important plant groups. They range from noxious weeds to leaf and root vegetables to oilseed and condiment crops. The cole vegetables are perhaps the best known group. Indeed, the Brassica vegetables are a dietary staple in every part of the world with the possible exception of the tropics.
    [Show full text]
  • Brassica Rapa Cultivar Rcbr Showing Growth Stages at Various Times from Seeding Until 28 Days
    Chapter 1 Rapid-Cycling Brassicas (RCB's) in Hands-on Teaching of Plant Biology Paul H. Williams Department of Plant Pathology Russell Laboratories University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI 53706 Paul H. Williams received his B.S.A. degree in Plant Science from the University of British Columbia in 1959, and his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology/Botany from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1962. He is currently Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Williams is the Principal Investigator of the NSF funded Wisconsin Fast Plants Instructional materials Development Program. His research interests include the development of multiple resistance (MDR) screening technology, genetics of and breeding for MDR in Brassica and Raphanus, and the development and distribution of rapid-cycling stocks of crucifers, including Brassica, Raphanus, and Arabidopsis through the Crucifer Genetics Cooperative. 1 Educational Uses of the Rapid-cycling Brassicas INTRODUCTION The development of rapid-cycling brassicas (RCB's) as model organisms for research and education is profoundly influencing the quality of science education at all levels by bringing dynamic living materials into the classroom. Most biology courses lack convenient living materials; many use animals predominantly. General and advanced courses in biology, botany, science education and applied plant sciences usually lack suitable living plant material that would permit students to explore plant growth and development, physiology, reproduction, genetics, evolution and ecology. These speedy relatives of mustard are particularly amenable to classroom settings because they show remarkably rapid development (Figure 1), they flower in 13 to 18 days, they are small, and they can reproduce at high densities (up to 2500 plants per square meter) under fluorescent lighting in a classroom.
    [Show full text]
  • These Greens Aren't Only Green!
    These Greens Aren’t Only Green! Light green, bright green, red tips, red edges, purple-red with white veins, ruby red, wine-red, bronze-red, white with green edges! Frilly, rounded, spiky, serrated, wavy, crumpled, lacy deeply lobed, ruffled, puckered, smooth! Pungent, peppery, bitter, nutty, tangy, subtle, sharp, tender, mouth-watering! Beta-carotene, calcium, folic acid, iron, potassium, vitamin C! if you eat it, why not grow it? Anyone with even a small place to spare in the garden should give growing greens a try. The home court advantage in freshness, quality and nutritional value – not to mention a quantum leap in mouth-watering flavor – far outweighs the minimal effort needed to start a few seed varieties or pop in some transplants. Just think: a gourmet salad or an instant stir-fry will always be waiting just outside your door. bitterness be gone! Mizuna, endive, mustard greens, radicchio, arugula…many people avoid these greens because the ones from the supermarket are often very bitter, wilted, or over-priced. With your own backyard source, you can treat yourself to: • Micro-greens = young seedlings with one or two sets of true leaves, usually about 10-14 days from planting, a great salad, garnish, or sandwich-topper; • Baby-greens = tender, bite-sized leaves harvested at about 3-4 weeks (depending on variety) with an intensity of flavor and texture; or wait for • Full-size leaves = continually harvesting only the taller outer leaves – known as “cut-and-come-again” will keep many of these plants growing and delivering into mid-summer. Succession planting is also a great technique for lettuce, mesclun mixes, arugula, chervil, and mizuna: after your initial planting, sow more seeds every 2-3 weeks to keep those baby greens available.
    [Show full text]
  • Field Mustard (Brassica Rapa Var. Rapa) Plant Guide
    v Natural Resources Conservation Service Plant Guide FIELD MUSTARD Brassica rapa L. var. rapa Plant Symbol = BRRAR Common Names: common mustard, wild mustard, wild turnip, forage turnip, wild rutabaga, birdsrape mustard, bird’s rape, rape mustard; Horticultural cultivars: turnip, summer turnip, seven- top turnip, rapini, broccoli raab, Italian kale; swede or white turnip (Ireland, Scotland, northern England) Scientific Names: Brassica rapa L. ssp. rapa, Brassica rapa L. var. campestris (L.) W.D.J. Koch, Brassica campestris L. ssp. rapifera (Metzger) Sinsk., Brassica campestris L. var. rapa (L.) Hartm., Brassica napus var. quadrivalvis (Hook. f. & Thomson) O. E. Schulz, Brassica quadrivalvis Hook. f. & Thomson, Caulanthus sulfureus Payson Description General: Field mustard is an upright winter annual or biennial that is a member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae). Plants exist as basal rosettes until flowering stems develop at maturity, usually in the second year. Plants grow 1 to 3 (or 4) ft tall from a sometimes fleshy, enlarged taproot, with a many-branched stem. The foliage is generally hairless and sometimes covered with a whitish film. Lower leaves can reach 12 inches long, have a large central lobe, and usually one to four pairs of smaller side lobes. Upper leaves are smaller, non-lobed, and have a pointed tip and widened, clasping base. The bright yellow Photo by George W. Williams, 2011, courtesy of Wildflowers in Santa flowers are clustered at stem tops and have four petals that are ¼ Barbara at http://sbwildflowers.wordpress.com. to ½ inch long. Plants flower from January to September, depending on climate and latitude, and are insect pollinated and self-incompatible.
    [Show full text]
  • A Chromosome-Scale Assembly of Allotetraploid Brassica Juncea (AABB) Elucidates Comparative Architecture of the a and B Genomes
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/681080; this version posted June 25, 2019. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. A chromosome-scale assembly of allotetraploid Brassica juncea (AABB) elucidates comparative architecture of the A and B genomes Kumar Paritosh1, Satish Kumar Yadava1, Priyansha Singh2, Latika Bhayana2, Arundhati Mukhopadhyay1, Vibha Gupta1, Naveen Chandra Bisht3, Jianwei Zhang4, David Kudrna4, Dario Copetti4, Rod A Wing4, Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Lachagari5, Akshay Kumar Pradhan1,2 and Deepak Pental1 1 Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi 110021, India 2 Department of Genetics, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi110021, India 3 National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India 4 Arizona Genomics Institute, School of Plant Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA 5 AgriGenome Labs Pvt Ltd, Genome Valley, Shamirpet, Hyderabad 500078, India Abstract Brassica juncea (AABB; genome size ~920 Mb), commonly referred to as mustard, is a natural allopolyploid of two diploid species – B. rapa (AA) and B. nigra (BB). We report a highly contiguous genome assembly of an oleiferous type of B. juncea variety Varuna, an archetypical Indian gene pool line of mustard, with ~100x PacBio single-molecule real-time (SMRT) reads providing contigs with an N50 value of >5Mb. Assembled contigs were corrected and scaffolded with BioNano optical mapping.
    [Show full text]
  • Acta Horticulturae. 2006. V. 706. Pp. 121-128
    Acta Horticulturae. 2006. V. 706. Pp. 121-128. QUALITY EVALUATION OF SOME CULTIVAR TYPES OF LEAFY BRASSICA RAPA A.M. Artemyeva and A.E. Solovyeva N. I. Vavilov Research Institute of Plant Industry, St-Petersburg, Russia Keywords: Pak choi, Chinese cabbage, Mibuna, Mizuna, Komatsuna, Tatsoi, bioactive substances, ascorbic acid, carotenoids, chlorophylls, β-carotene, sugars, protein, glucosinolates, minerals Abstract. The VIR collection of leafy Brassica rapa L. including 525 accessions of 5 crops was divided into 27 cultivar types. Biochemical composition of all crops and cultivar types has been investigated. Among the cultivar types the sources of nutritive and bioactive substances were revealed. INTRODUCTION Brassica crops rank third among the major vegetable botanical groups in production and consumption after potatoes and tomatoes in developed countries and second after grain crops in developing countries (Rosa 1999). In Russia Brassicas take third place after cereals and potatoes. Worldwide distribution of Brassica vegetables is determined by many factors. Vegetable Brassica crops have diverse edible plant parts and various ways of utilization for human consumption: in fresh and as a processed food. After the harvest of the main product part the remaining biomass is used for fodder. Brassica vegetables are remarkable for high yield, ecological plasticity, and valuable biochemical composition. Food nutrition is becoming one of the most important factors in the choice of products in modern conditions. Brassica vegetables are characterized by high water content, low caloric value, contains high quality protein, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins, minerals, secondary plant metabolites. In humans, the last mentioned have anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, antibacterial and antiviral effects, stimulate the immune system and reduce inflammation.
    [Show full text]